Microstructures regularly arranged with intervals of several nanometers to several hundreds of nanometers are applicable to various techniques such as a catalyst, antireflective film, electric circuit, and magnetic recording medium. As methods for manufacturing such microstructures, there are, for example, a pattern drawing method in which patterns are drawn on a resist by electron-beam and ultraviolet light drawing devices, and a method using a self-organization phenomenon occurring in diblock copolymers or fine particles.
Especially, when the fine particles are used, an advantage which is unobtainable from a pattern formation using diblock copolymers or a resist can be achieved. Inorganic fine particles have their etching resistance different from that of organic materials and thus, if a material is chosen properly for the fine particles, the etching selection ratio and growth selection ratio in subsequent processes can be improved.
However, conventional microstructure-related techniques face a difficulty in patterning the fine particles formed of any desired material on a substrate in a single-layered arrangement with certain intervals. When the fine particles are arranged regularly, a viscosity adjustment agent of high viscosity must be mixed in the fine particles. However, if fine particles of, for example, Fe are used, the particles therein aggregate by such a viscosity adjustment agent at the time of the mixture and the aggregation renders the application of fine particles difficult in the first place. Moreover, although polystyrenes can be substituted for the periphery of Au particles as a protective group, such a structure is difficult to be formed in a close-packed arrangement by spin coating.